Not long ago, we feaÂtured David Sedaris readÂing “Of Mice and Men,” a comÂic bit from his newish book, When You are Engulfed in Flames. Now, we give you anothÂer funÂny (also live) readÂing from the same book. The stoÂry is called “SoluÂtion to SatÂurÂday’s PuzÂzle,” and you can get it as an mp3 here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
David Sedaris DelivÂers a PizÂza (an ImperÂsonÂation)
On FriÂday, we brought you Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s mulÂtiÂmeÂdia preÂsenÂtaÂtion at the TED conÂferÂence. Now we bring you his new film, Home, which you can watch until the end of the day on YouTube. The comÂplete film in EngÂlish is above. When you’re done, you won’t look at our planÂet in the same way. (You can also find online verÂsions in French, GerÂman and SpanÂish.)
Check out Andrew SulÂliÂvan’s DaiÂly Dish. He’s doing a great job of watchÂing things unfold in Tehran. More good blogÂging comÂing from the NYTimes Lede blog. MeanÂwhile CNN has dropped the ball big time, and is takÂing a beatÂing on TwitÂter. Check out the new webÂsite, CNNfail.com.
Here we have Yann Arthus-Bertrand talkÂing at the TED ConÂferÂence and disÂplayÂing his recent phoÂtoÂgraphÂic and cinÂeÂmatoÂgraphÂic work that focusÂes on humanÂiÂty and our habiÂtat. The work is as visuÂalÂly stunÂning as the stoÂry it tells is disÂheartÂenÂing. DefÂiÂniteÂly worth givÂing this one some time. We’ll be folÂlowÂing up latÂer today with some more media from Arthus-Bertrand. Stay tuned for more.
This caught my attenÂtion today:
“The NationÂal Gallery is the first ever gallery to make its paintÂings accesÂsiÂble through a downÂloadÂable iPhone appliÂcaÂtion, makÂing it posÂsiÂble to take a mini tour of the Gallery anyÂwhere in the world.
The Gallery, in partÂnerÂship with AntenÂna Audio and Apple Inc., has designed a new appliÂcaÂtion for iPhones and iTouch devices that enables peoÂple to explore a samÂple of the colÂlecÂtion while they’re on the move. Designed to appeal to art enthuÂsiÂasts and fans of the Gallery, this appliÂcaÂtion is the first of its kind to be released by a major gallery.
This PenÂtiÂmenÂto appliÂcaÂtion, called Love Art (get the free app here), feaÂtures 250 paintÂings from the colÂlecÂtion along with around 200 minÂutes of audio and video conÂtent, includÂing interÂviews with NationÂal Gallery DirecÂtor Dr Nicholas PenÂny, dramaÂtist Robin Brooks, artist MagÂgie HamÂbling and Girl with a Pearl EarÂring author TraÂcy ChevaÂlier.
MakÂing use of speÂcial iPhone feaÂtures such as its large touch-screen, zoom, Rolodex and scrolÂlable menus, Love Art offers a playÂful exploÂration of the colÂlecÂtion, togethÂer with inforÂmaÂtive comÂmenÂtaries. The paintÂings are showÂcased to the best advanÂtage using high-resÂoÂluÂtion images on the iPhone’s excelÂlent-qualÂiÂty screen. Due to a tacÂtile interÂface the expeÂriÂence gained through this appliÂcaÂtion is not only highÂly enjoyÂable, but also lets you zoom in to see details that are often missed”
A quick heads up: Jeff Young has an inforÂmaÂtive piece in The ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion on what hapÂpened when one uniÂverÂsiÂty delivÂered all textÂbooks to stuÂdents elecÂtronÂiÂcalÂly. It’s defÂiÂniteÂly worth a read. MeanÂwhile, on a relatÂed note, Walt MossÂberg, the Wall Street JourÂnal’s tech guru, doesÂn’t like the new KinÂdle DX very much. AmaÂzon designed the superÂsized e‑book readÂer (see it here) to bring portaÂbilÂiÂty to textÂbooks, newsÂpaÂpers and othÂer periÂodÂiÂcals. If you get one, let us know your thoughts, whether pro or con.
via HarÂvard UniÂverÂsiÂty Press on TwitÂter (Find us on TwitÂter here)
The film above takes you inside the spirÂiÂtuÂal walls of Lhasa, Tibet’s capÂiÂtal, which hosts the PotaÂla Palace, “the traÂdiÂtionÂal winÂter home of the Dalai Lama and a pilÂgrimÂage desÂtiÂnaÂtion for thouÂsands of BudÂdhists.” The video runs 9+ minÂutes, and it’s one of many films proÂduced by Explore.org, a web site supÂportÂed by the AnnenÂberg FounÂdaÂtion that comÂbines philÂanÂthropy, travÂel, and learnÂing. OfferÂing globÂal covÂerÂage, Explore.org also brings you to Africa, India, the MidÂdle East, CosÂta Rica and beyond. You can find their full colÂlecÂtion of films here, and they have also been added to our colÂlecÂtion: IntelÂliÂgent Video: The Top CulÂturÂal & EduÂcaÂtionÂal Video Sites. Enjoy.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Dalai Lama’s IntroÂducÂtion to BudÂdhism
The Future of Tibet: Does It Have One?
In case you missed ColÂbert’s trip to the war zone, here’s a funÂny clip.
You can find the link to this video and more here.
A quick heads up: The BBC is feaÂturÂing a series of lecÂtures with Michael Sandel (HarÂvard ProÂfesÂsor of GovÂernÂment) that will colÂlecÂtiveÂly talk about “the prospects of a new polÂiÂtics of the comÂmon good.” Sandel is a very popÂuÂlar proÂfesÂsor at HarÂvard. Some 15,000 stuÂdents have takÂen his coursÂes over 30 years. In the first lecÂture, Sandel takes a look at the moralÂiÂty of the marÂkets (a timeÂly topÂic, to be sure) and “conÂsidÂers the expanÂsion of marÂkets and how we deterÂmine their moral limÂits.” You can lisÂten here.
Also, note that you can find anothÂer mini-course by Sandel on the HarÂvard webÂsite. JusÂtice: A JourÂney in Moral ReaÂsonÂing (Video) is one of the very few coursÂes that HarÂvard has proÂduced and made availÂable to the pubÂlic. You can find it othÂerÂwise listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free UniÂverÂsiÂty CoursÂes.
EarÂliÂer today, Seth HarÂwood wrote about a new chalÂlenge for writÂers — makÂing sure books get disÂtribÂuted through as many digÂiÂtal readÂing platÂforms as posÂsiÂble. His thinkÂing doveÂtails niceÂly with Wired’s list of the “EighÂteen ChalÂlenges in ConÂtemÂpoÂrary LitÂerÂaÂture.” Here are some of the Wired items that mesh or flirt with what HarÂwood is talkÂing about…
2. VerÂnacÂuÂlar means of everyÂday comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion — cellÂphones, social netÂworks, streamÂing video — are movÂing into areas where printÂed text canÂnot folÂlow.
4. Means of book proÂmoÂtion, disÂtriÂbÂuÂtion and retail destaÂbiÂlized.
5. Ink-on-paper manÂuÂfacÂturÂing is an outÂmodÂed, toxÂic indusÂtry with steeply risÂing costs.
8. Long tail balkaÂnizes audiÂences, disÂrupts means of canon-buildÂing and fragÂments litÂerÂary repÂuÂtaÂtion.
11. BarÂriÂers to pubÂliÂcaÂtion entry have crashed, enabling huge torÂrent of subÂlitÂerÂary and/or nonÂlitÂerÂary texÂtuÂal expresÂsion.
Get the full list here. Thanks to Ed Finn for givÂing us a heads up on this list.
Pico Iyer, the British-born essayÂist, has a nice realÂiÂty check in today’s New York Times, and it’s now the most emailed artiÂcle of the day. Here are a few key pasÂsages:
“I’m not sure how much outÂward details or accomÂplishÂments ever realÂly make us hapÂpy deep down. The milÂlionÂaires I know seem desÂperÂate to become mulÂtiÂmilÂlionÂaires, and spend more time with their lawyers and their bankers than with their friends (whose motiÂvaÂtions they are no longer sure of). And I rememÂber how, in the corÂpoÂrate world, I always knew there was some highÂer posiÂtion I could attain, which meant that, like Zeno’s arrow, I was guarÂanÂteed nevÂer to arrive and always to remain disÂsatÂisÂfied…”
“…my two-room apartÂment in nowhere Japan seems more abunÂdant than the big house that burned down [in SanÂta BarÂbara, CA]. I have time to read the new John le Carre, while nibÂbling at sweet tanÂgerÂines in the sun. When a SigÂur Ros album comes out, it fills my days and nights, resplenÂdent. And then it seems that hapÂpiÂness, like peace or pasÂsion, comes most freely when it isn’t purÂsued.”
On a relatÂed note, you might want to check out this piece in the The Atlantic, What Makes Us HapÂpy?, which takes a look at HarÂvard’s long effort to answer that quesÂtion.
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